Cavern
by mspotts
Summary: ON HIATUS. SEE PROFILE: Lost in the Sengoku Jidai, Kagome meets the infamous demon thief, Youko Kurama in a mysterious haunted cavern. Can they survive the night?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Inuyasha or YuYuHakusho. **

**

* * *

**

Cavern

In the end, it was the constant drip, drip, dripping of cold water upon her head that eventually woke her up.

Kagome blinked dazedly and abruptly received an eyeful of the bothersome liquid as it fell towards her face once more. She scowled at nothing in particular, irritated at having been blinded so soon after waking up, and then suddenly she started, only just realising that she had no idea where she was.

_Oh crap…_

"Hellooo??" She called out, her voice resounded loudly in the darkness. "Um, hello? Is anybody there?"

She squinted and looked around, trying in vain to find some patch of light within the shrouded space. The place was pitch black and chillingly cold; a cool breeze drifted over her goose-pimpled skin despite there being no trace of wind in the air. Apparently the ceiling was quite damp, if the water dripping on her was anything to go by, and her lack of proper clothing – school uniform was hardly adequate in these conditions – only added to the decrease in warmth.

She groaned. Getting lost was one of the worst things about being in the Feudal Era. No road signs to direct her, no helpful bystanders willing to show her the right way…in fact, Kagome was far more likely to avoid meeting people, what with her many experiences in the past with strangers who had only been trying to 'help' her. She shuddered. No, she didn't enjoy a single moment of it. Not to mention inconveniencing her friends who would eventually have to come looking for her.

Kagome winced at that particular thought. Inuyasha was going to be so angry with her when he found out she'd gotten lost _again_. Not that that was particularly surprising – she did manage to get into more trouble than a pair of toddlers set loose in Toys 'R Us – but still, it was hardly ever her fault. Not really anyway.

"But does he care? Noooo…" She said to herself.

To her surprise, she found that she wasn't as frightened as she usually would have been, alone in a dark place with no idea where she was. I guess I'm too used to it now, she thought, not entirely sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

She closed her eyes, briefly shutting out the overbearing expanse of black that surrounded her. Annoyingly enough, she realised there wasn't any difference between having her eyes shut and having them open. _Maybe it's night outside?_ She wondered, hesitating for a moment before slowly standing up. Thankfully the ceiling was high enough for her to stand fully without bending her back, so at least she'd be marginally comfortable if she decided to look around.

"Helloooooooo!!" her shrill voice rang out once more. "Hey, if there's anyone out there, please say something now!" She waited for nearly a whole minute but received no reply.

Kagome sighed and plonked herself down on the hard, flat floor. _Oomph!_ It felt like she'd just sat on a lump of jagged bricks! She rubbed her aching butt while hesitantly feeling around. It was probably a good idea to get a scope of the terrain first, before she got comfortable.

The ground felt smooth beneath her palms, so she knew she couldn't be anywhere outside. She sniffed. Nope, there wasn't a single trace of that earthy outdoorsy scent either. Kagome placed her hands on a rocky edge that sloped gently upwards, forming into what she hoped was a stone wall. She remembered that when she'd spoken her voice had resounded into a recurring echo across the darkness. _Which basically means that I'm either somewhere underground or I'm in some kind of weird cavern_. Both options weren't exactly promising.

Well, that's a start at least, she thought, trying to maintain her optimism but falling short slightly. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd been captured or brought here by force, seeing as though she could hardly recall what had happened before she'd woken up on the floor.

Kagome tried to remember, she really did. But in her disorientated mind everything was just a distant memory, a blur beyond her immediate focus. If she even tried to think beyond her actions of a few moments ago, she got a pounding headache, and her sight began to haze. After several more attempts she decided it wasn't worth the effort, and returned to just sitting on the floor, gazing blankly at nothing.

Sigh…

"This is so boring!" Kagome yelled, the strength of it reflecting her stress and frustration. "How long is it going to take before the others come and find me?" She pouted, her bottom lip wobbling. Sure, she was behaving like an ungrateful child, but she was far too annoyed to care. The wetness dribbling down her forehead had put her in a seriously bad mood.

Suddenly a horrible thought came to her and she shot up, her eyes widening with fear. Praying to whatever kamis there were in existence, she patted down her pockets looking for the glass vial containing the shikon shards. Kagome gasped. _No, no, no, no, no! This can't be happening! Where are they?! _She panicked, searching the ground desperately. She wasn't entirely sure if Inuyasha would even bother saving her if he found out she'd lost all her shards too!

She could almost hear his deafening scream of disbelief (_"Whhhhaaatt?? You've lost the shards?? I can't believe this! You're the most useless, pathetic excuse for a human being I've ever me! What the hell is WRONG with you??") _and then worst of all_…("Kikyo would NEVER have lost the shards! She would NEVER have broken the jewel in the first place! Dammit, why are you so stupid? I can't believe I'm stuck with such a useless pathetic excuse for a priestess…_ and the list went on, growing longer and longer in her mind as every second passed and the shards remained missing.

After a while, she realised that there was no point searching for the shards when she couldn't see anything around her, especially since her eyes were starting to see things that weren't really there, which wasn't exactly helping her case any.

It was probably best to wait until the others came to find her and then they could search for the shards together. She snorted. Yeah, like that theory was going to work. Inuyasha was more likely to scream at her and then make her look for them herself than to offer his help, even though technically, it wasn't actually her fault. _But does he care? No…_

She slumped down on her makeshift seat, exhausted. "I guess I'll just have to wait for the others, then."

Just as she thought this, a small sound distracted her and she flicked her head upwards, searching for the origin of the noise.

"Wha-"

A movement, barely a slight shifting of position behind her, but it was enough to warn her that she was not as alone as she'd previously thought.

Slowly, she tilted her head back …and found herself staring into the depths of a pair of crimson red eyes.

--

**A/N: Please read and review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Inuyasha or YuYuHakusho. **

**_

* * *

_**

Cavern II

"GAH!"

She screamed and jumped back, scrambling feverishly away from the sight of those hellish red eyes glaring out at her from the dark. _Ohmigod, ohmigod…_Her hand automatically reached for the back of her left shoulder before she realised–

No weapons.

Kagome groaned. What in the world was she supposed to do now? She wasn't Sango – she could barely throw a punch without breaking a sweat – and she didn't know how to use anything besides her bow and arrows anyway. _And even if I could, in this darkness I'd be having trouble trying to find a rock to throw! _

A threatening growl rumbled throughout the cavern, its deadliness evident in its soft tone. Kagome almost wailed in despair. Why was it that _she_ was the one who always found the scary demons? Inuyasha would have _loved_ a good fight with some creepy glow-in-the-dark-eyed youkai, but nooo. It had to be her, didn't it?

Her heart was beating frantically, her breathing already quickening past the normal rate. Scared out of her mind, she hesitantly lifted one of the hands covering her face to peek out at the demon she'd unluckily encountered.

The eyes were gone.

This time Kagome couldn't suppress the whimper. In her mind, the only thing worse than knowing there was a potentially threatening demon in front of you, was not knowing _exactly where it was_. For all she knew it could have been right behind her, just waiting there silently for her to turn around…

She didn't look. She was too chicken, and for once she didn't mind admitting it.

Unconsciously she began mumbling under her breath. "This can't be happening. This _really_ can't be happening…"

"_Grrrrrrrr_……"

She yelped, and drew herself back from where the sound had come from. _That one was really close!_ She tried to inch further away again, using every molecule of skill she had to make as little noise as possible. The second growl had sounded more like a harsh purr, bringing images of deadly, ferocious demon felines to her frazzled mind. Despite her efforts to calm herself, Kagome still felt like sobbing. She was lost in the dark with a demon that she couldn't see, had no weapons to kill it with, and worse, even if she could see it, she was so damn scared she could barely move!

"Ohh…" a whoosh of warm air blew across the light hairs at the nape of her neck. "I am _so_ screwed!"

"Is that so?" A smooth voice asked her from the dark, shocking her so much that she let out a petrified scream.

"AAAAAAHHH!" She wailed. "Who are –you – how…?" She spun around, searching frantically for the owner of the voice, cursing her weak human senses for being so impaired. After a few moments, she lowered her outstretched hands and let out a breath of pent up air. _Okay, I'm getting seriously spooked here. _

She decided to be brave. "Whho's o-out tthere?" she stumbled over the words and her voice trembled fearfully as she spoke.

There was no reply. Nothing. No voice, no movement, no creepy, malicious eyes. Nothing. Just silence.

Maybe I imagined it? She found herself thinking, and she took a small step backwards, relaxing with the reassurance of no immediate threat.

_Squish._

Her leather-clad sole met the warm flesh of silk-soft skin.

"Get _off_ my foot, human."

"Eep!"

She scrambled forwards, her heart jumping up to her throat and falling back down again in an increasing rhythm. _I knew there was someone there, I just knew it!_

"Sorry!" she said rapidly, breathlessly. "It's just that there's no light and I can't see and I'm so tired and scared and I wasn't sure if anyone was here and you didn't say where you were so I had no idea you were there and I don't exactly know where I am anyway so that doesn't help, and, and – _hey_!" she suddenly realised. "You _really_ scared me, you know!" she finished.

Youko Kurama, spirit fox, legendary Makai thief and all round demon sex-god raised one silver brow. "I apologise," his tone was dry. "I was unaware that it was normal behaviour for humans to sit in the darkness talking to themselves."

She huffed. "I wasn't talking to myself! I was-er-talking to the…the-" Realising that under no circumstances was she going to get out of this without looking like a total idiot, she quickly, if not subtly, changed tactics. "Hey wait! Hold on a minute. Who are you anyway?" _And what are you doing in this weird place?_

He was obviously a youkai. That much she could discern from his voice alone. But neither the softness of his foot nor the honeyed smoothness of his voice could provide an apt enough description of his character. _And it would be just my luck to get stuck in here with a total weirdo._ Kagome grimaced. She had seen a ton of crazy demons in her time in the feudal era and each one had been worse than the last. Maybe he'll be like Kouga, she thought hopefully. After all, when she'd first met the cocky, young wolf prince they hadn't exactly been on the best of terms either, but they'd still managed to make it work. Somehow.

"Um, excuse me," she decided to be polite. "I'm Kagome. What's your name?" There was no reply, so she tried again. "Nice to meet you. Do you have a name? Hello?"

When he continued to ignore her, she lost patience. "Hey! Are you gonna answer my questions or not?"

"Be silent," he ordered curtly. He no longer sounded amused. "I'd rather not have to listen to your attempts at idle conversation." The words were laced with lethal intent, made more menacing by the eerie calmness with which he spoke.

Kagome gulped, laughed nervously. "Um, okay." She took another step forward. _Don't mind me; I'll just disappear right now…_ She wanted – no, she needed – to get as far away from him as was physically possible. _He's definitely not the kind of demon I want to be hanging around with!_ She thought, deciding that the better option would be to make her quick getaway now.

_Okay, here I go…_

Still hesitant, she began to quietly sidle away.

--

Youko Kurama remained mostly unconcerned with the human currently scurrying away from him, even though he was aware she was doing so. What did he care for the fears of a petty inconsequential human? He was far too busy trying to figure out where he was.

For his part, Youko wasn't much used to being lost or trapped in any situation outside of his control. In fact, the very idea of him being taken captive against his will was so ludicrously unimaginable that it was almost funny.

And yet here he was.

The scowl that adorned his sharp features was miniscule. His thin silver brows lowered imperceptibly; a slight curve of his lip to show his distaste. Only those who knew him well (to be honest, there was only one person, and that was Kuronue) would have been able to spot the subtle difference from his usual expression of apathetic indifference to this – absolute annoyance.

Understandably, he was in a bad mood. for one, he couldn't remember how he'd come to be where he was, which was surprising in and of itself. But what was infinitely more distressing to the fox demon was that he felt tired, weak and abnormally weary. And earlier, when he had tried to produce one of his more deadly flowers, the tiny, brown seed had remained dormant and inactive in his hand.

Youko knew that could only mean one thing.

His youki was suppressed.

Suppressed, he automatically reminded himself, but not destroyed. That at least, was worth remembering. His pride had already suffered enough when he'd woken up barefoot and cold on the wet, stone floor. He wasn't sure it could take much more abuse than that.

He'd risen slowly, his body feeling achy and stiff, only to find that the cavern was entirely obscured by a darkness too deep even for his youkai eyes. Then he'd tried to let some of his youki slip through, to give himself some of the extensive night vision that was one of the many characteristics of his natural demon form. After less than a few seconds though, the vision wore off and he'd been forced to return to his original state of unmitigated blindness. That was another sharp blow to his ego.

Youko sighed, annoyed. Yes, he was weaker, but he was still able to function moderately well – nothing close to his normal standard, but that was to be expected, he supposed – and although it was a shame he could no longer use his rose whip to kill at long distance range, he'd get over it. He'd have to.

He tossed his silver head impatiently, flaying the silken strands away from his body. To his surprise and immediate annoyance, he couldn't seem to figure a way out of his current predicament. Youko frowned. Surely by now his entire band of thieves would have recognised that he was missing. The longer he stayed away, the greater the chance that one of them would decide that they were worthy enough to replace him, resulting in a full-scale battle for leadership amidst the group. Not that I'm particularly worried, he thought, unconcerned, but it would be slightly wasteful to have to kill them all for disloyalty, and then have to spend another several months searching for thieves worthy enough to replace them_. And really, I just don't have the time or the patience for that kind of thing. _

Besides, he considered suddenly, who knew what calamities would be going on there without him to lead them? His mind conjured up images of his own personal treasuries burning wildly, and mountains of his gold and money piled up like sticks on a pyre. Their secret hide-out in the forest set the dramatic backdrop for the red and gold flames, surmounting into a rather disturbing image indeed. Yes, he decided, returning would have to be his immediate priority for the moment.

An abrupt burst of loud speech shattered the overbearing quiet in the cavern. Youko's head shot up, unsettled to be caught off guard.

"WELCOME, WELCOME ALL!" A loud, distinctively accented voice boomed. Youko felt his ears burn with pain. "WELCOME TO THE CAVERN OF UNTOLD MYSTERIES!"

Bright light suddenly flooded the gloomy cave, lifting the veil of darkness to reveal what lay hidden beneath. Kagome, abruptly illuminated for all the world to see, gave a surprised squeal before staring about the place in amazement.

Youko himself was not unaffected. Now that he could see, he realised the cavern was not as he'd imagined it to be. Jagged rocks like daggers piercing out of the floor of the cavern littered every stony surface, the walls and the ceiling too. A giant gaping hole was cut into the ground, the beginnings of its sharpened edge not too far from where he stood. From out of the corner of his eye, he saw the human girl jump backwards in fear.

"Welcome to the cavern of untold mysteries!" Although the voice had lost its deafening quality, it still retained a certain edge that allowed it to project the words far and wide. "Welcome to the mystical burial ground for restless souls and their counterparts! Only two may be permitted to enter – as one cannot face the challenges inside alone!" While it was speaking, two large boulders moved in sync away from the wall, revealing a single unlit passageway built into the cave.

Like a vendor selling a bad product, the voice taunted them loudly. "Come, human, come, demon. Enter if you dare!" A bright torch flared within the mouth of the entrance, accentuating the invitation.

The entire thing looked pathetic, tacky and undeserving of his time, and yet despite all that, Youko felt the beginnings of excitement stirring within his chest. A challenge, he thought, golden eyes darkening with intensity. It'd been so long since he'd been put to the test, and this challenge – pathetic though it was – had the potential to actually be quite difficult. After all, he remembered, his senses had been on alert the whole time and yet he hadn't felt any presence enter the cavern. _Magic, perhaps_. He shrugged indifferently. Whatever it was, he'd be ready for it.

He raised his eyebrows to the girl. "Well? Do you intend to go in or not?" And then he strode off, not bothering to check if she followed.

At the opening of the passageway he paused and looked up, his eyes latching onto a minute demon insect, buzzing away when it realised he was watching. He followed its path until it disappeared from his sight.

_Well._ A feral grin curled up from the corners of his mouth. This would certainly be interesting.

--

**A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you for the amazing reviews! I really wasn't expecting this kind of response, and I'm glad to know so many of you liked it. This has never happened before so I'm seriously touched. I hope you liked this chapter too and if possible, let me know what you think, or if you're confused by something, send me a PM and I'll get back to you. Thanks again!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you again for all those wonderful reviews! I think I replied to them all but if I missed you out then forgive me. I can be stupid sometimes. :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or YuYuHakusho.**

**

* * *

**

Cavern III

_And there he goes…_Kagome's eyes trailed after the demon's pristine white form, watching as he strolled silently away. His footsteps made no more sound upon the granite floor than would a feather; the thick silver tail protruding from his behind swished back and forth in a soothing rhythm. She frowned, still rather unsure about everything that had just happened – a Cavern of Mysteries, huh? How lame could you _get?_ – and her brown eyes darted side to side with indecision. _What in the world am I supposed to do now?_

And then in a moment of sudden clarity she gasped, shocked.

"HEY! You can't just _leave_ me here!"

She jogged, hurrying to catch up to him. "Hey, wait a sec!" she called loudly. "Wait for me!"

He didn't, and by the time she finally managed to catch up, her body had had a thorough work out. "Eurgh…" she panted, still making a conscious effort to keep up with his lengthy strides. Damn his legs were long! "Could-you-" pant, pant. "Please- slow-" pant, "-down?" Pant, pant. Sweat began to form on her brow.

He made no move to show that he had heard her, his pale face remaining just as stony and unreachable as ever. _And yet…when we first met he wasn't like this – he was practically teasing me!_ The contrast was almost unbelievable. It made her wonder just what sort of demon she was dealing with here. She snorted. Obviously an unstable one.

Kagome felt like sighing. This had to be, by far, the very worst experience she'd suffered while lost in the feudal era, to date. Things kept getting worse and worse as time went on. For example, she mentally ticked off points off her fingers; she'd been forced into entering an unknown place without any friends she could trust, without any weapons to defend herself with.

Two, she puffed, her breath coming out in short, sharp bursts, the only companion she did have, and was now stuck with – if she wanted to stay alive that is – was an extremely arrogant and supposedly powerful demon. Who just happens to look like Inuyasha, she added in her mind.

_Actually…_her brows furrowed in concentration. He didn't really look so much like Inuyasha – it was only his hair and his ears that were the same. In fact, she decided, squinting her eyes, he seemed to bear a greater resemblance to Inuyasha's older full-demon brother, Sesshoumaru, the Lord of the West. Weirdly enough their similarities weren't just in looks alone – both of them had that same aristocratic elegance that practically oozed from their pores, and held themselves with an aloofness that often bordered on insolence. Not to mention their arrogance, deadliness and huge demonic power. And they're both seriously hot, she thought without thinking, and then winced. It was bad enough she was having thoughts about Inuyasha's older brother in that way, but some stranger she barely even knew? _Honestly Kagome, get a grip!_

Though in reality, it was much easier said than done. Now that she'd begun it, no matter how hard she tried she couldn't quite get the image of him out of her head, watching as it flickered on and off behind her eyelids, made all the worse by the vision of his lean body strolling languidly in the road ahead of her.

Well, he _is_ really handsome, she continued, giving in to temptation against her better judgement. _Heck, he's not just handsome! The guy's gorgeous. Completely divine! _Maybe even more so than the demon lord. For while Inuyasha had a very boyish handsomeness to him; the silver kitsune before her remained strikingly beautiful and proud. A wild mixture of a courtier's face with the forceful, self-assurance of any strong youkai male. And he had to be very strong, and very, very powerful to act the way he did.

At that precise moment, Kagome jolted to a halt, things clicking into place like puzzle pieces in her mind for the first time. "Aaaaaaargghh!!" She shrieked. The shrill cry would have pierced even the strongest of eardrums. "OH MY GOD!!!"

Youko flicked his head towards her, unintentionally concerned. "What's wrong?" He questioned blankly. He hadn't sensed anything amiss, so why was the girl screaming?

She stared up at him, eyes impossibly wide, her gaze fixed entirely upon his face. "Oh my god, oh my goodness- oh my- _word_!"

"What?" He said impatiently. He looked distinctly annoyed. "What is it?"

She raised a hand, pointing an accusing finger at his chest. "You- you-" she was so distressed she could barely get the words out. Youko resisted an urge to shake her. "You-you're a-a t-thief!"

For two short seconds he blinked in disbelief.

"And?" he asked. Surely this couldn't be the reason for her outburst? Even human women couldn't be that brainless.

"No!" She quickly shook her head. "No, no. You-you're that thief! The Youko Kurama!" She looked stunned, like she didn't quite believe what she was saying.

He processed her words and tone for a long moment. Then…

_Oh…_once again, boredom recovered his expression. The faint interest he'd previously shown had already disappeared. So she'd figured out who he was had she? He raised an eyebrow. "Does that disturb you, girl?"

Of course it did, but she wasn't going to say so. "No, of course not! Why would it? I'm fine. I was just …surprised, that's all."

"Right." His stare made her feel lower than low. It was clear as day that he'd seen right through her flimsy lie. "Very well…girl," he held out a hand, calling to her as you would a pet. "Come over here. If you truly don't fear me, then come stand by my side." He didn't smile but the challenge was all in his eyes.

She bristled, anger overriding any fear she may have felt for the notorious gang leader. How dare he make fun of her! Who did he think he was?

Well…one of the scariest demons alive, for starters, she answered her own question in her mind, but it hardly soothed the raging fury that flamed her body. She flounced towards him, ignoring his eyebrow rising even higher, and took the hand he held out to her.

There was no way she was going to act all scared in front of him! She raised her chin, "I'm ready when you are." She said, meeting his eyes.

Something indiscernible flickered beneath the golden surfaces, too fast for her to read. "I can see." He stated impassively, and then a slight smirk settled upon his perfect features. "Come along then." And then before she had time to adjust, they were sprinting.

Kagome frowned. Maybe it was her imagination, but in her mind it suddenly seemed as though the fox demon had begun to move just that bit faster, making it nearly impossible for her to keep up. Already he was dragging her along, her feet barely making the single patters against the ground needed to keep her upright. That jerk! She cried mentally. She was sure he was doing this on purpose. If she hadn't been so tired out she would have given him an earful.

_There's no way I'm getting left behind this time_. Once was bad enough, but she wasn't completely sure she could handle the stress of running after him again.

"Kurama? I mean, er, Youko Kurama-sama…" she wasn't totally clear on demon protocols but she could at least give it a shot. "Could you slow it down a little bit, please?"

He tilted his head, "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that," there was distinct humour in his voice. "Could you say that again?"

She gritted her teeth. "Could you…slow down. Please."

He sighed. "No, I don't think so."

Her face flamed. "Why not?!"

"We need to keep moving if we're ever going to reach the end of this tunnel." He glanced down at her sparingly, tugging on her fragile wrist. "Your human speed is too slow, so you'll have to stay by me for the time being."

"But that's the point!" She cried breathlessly. "I can't keep up with you!"

He frowned, the amusement fading fast. He looked a tad disturbed, almost put-out. "Hm. I suppose I'll simply have to…"

His golden gaze landed on her for a moment, making her flinch. And then in a flash movement too fast for her eyes to see, she was suddenly being cradled in his strong arms, her body firmly pressed up against his hard chest.

"Wha-!"

Her eyes bugged out, her arms flailing to the sides. "Hey, put me down!"

"No."

"Put-me-_down_!"

"Stop squirming."

"I said, 'put me down', now!"

The frustration he felt was audible when he next spoke. "Your voice is grating on my ears, girl. I suggest you shut up or I'll have to silence you myself." And at the rate she was going, he'd probably enjoy doing it too.

Despite knowing how dangerous he was, and how easily he could carry out his vicious threat, Kagome remained unfazed.

"And that's another thing," she shouted, disregarding his words entirely. "My name's not 'girl' or 'human', it's Kagome! K-A-G-O-M-E. If I can show you a decent amount of respect by calling you your name, then why won't you do the same? It doesn't take much; it's just a few syllables. Got that?"

She fidgeted around in his arms for a few moments, unaware of his hold tightening on her. She peered into his face, her expression darkening. "Hey, Youko! Are you even listening to me?!"

He very nearly sighed out loud. What he wouldn't give to be able to kill the girl right now. But as much as he would have liked to, he already knew that both of them would have to be alive if they wanted to get out of this place. _So that means no killing._ He felt sad at the thought.

But you have to admit, a voice popped up inside his head, she had been quite amusing at times.

No, Youko disagreed irritably. On the contrary. He didn't think he'd ever met anyone more irksome in his life.

Kagome apparently still hadnt finished complaining.

"You are an absolute basta-" she didn't finish. He covered her mouth with his palm, cutting off her insult mid-speech.

"Quiet," he demanded, seriousness entering his face. "We are no longer alone."

"Apt as always, Kurama. It seems you never fail to impress."

He stopped jogging, halting in the middle of the path and quickly released Kagome from his hold. Ignoring her, his eyes flickered around the room suspiciously; they narrowed into tiny golden slits when he continued to feel nothing.

The cave they had entered was nothing unusual, although it appeared they had travelled further underground than he'd first thought. A little lake sat in the centre of the wide expanse of dark rock, completely still except for the odd pattering of water from the crevices above. He sniffed, hoping to detect any ulterior presences, and it was by this that he caught scent of a distinct aroma.

"Look out," he drew Kagome behind him, wordlessly offering his protection, and then stiffened, his body turning away in reaction to the sudden spurting of liquid from the clear pond.

Bubbles – a deep indigo at first – spread like spilled ink, bubbling and frothing over onto parchment. The colour spread, staining the pure water till all was covered with the murky substance. One by one, the bubbles dissipated into the air, leaving a foul stench of warped corruption behind them.

To Kagome everything reminded her of Naraku, of his under-handed tricks and unsurpassable skills at manipulating people. She would have suspected it to be one of his more elaborate schemes if not for the fact that her shards were already gone, so what else could he possibly achieve from setting her up like this?

"And who is this lovely young creature at your side, Kurama? Dear me, she looks so pure; surely she cannot be your type." The bodiless voice was filled with pleasure, not malice.

The words came from nowhere, but still Kagome flushed, her ears burning red with embarrassment. God, she wished the floor would just swallow her up right now. Urgh. How humiliatiing. Though despite her feelings, she couldn't help from thinking - _Pure, huh? Not after the way I've been thinking about him..._

Youko looked neither affected nor displeased. An enlightened glint had entered his eye.

He spoke slowly. "Wherever you are, Yomi, I suggest you come out now. I don't have time for anymore games."

"True, enough, I suppose." The voice laughed. "But you can't blame me for being a little bit surprised. I mean, honestly! How the hell did you manage to end up _here_, of all places?"

Kagome started. It had happened so gradually she hadn't been aware of its progress. Little by little, like nature taking its course upon the world, a column of whitish pale mist had begun to coalesce into position. The jumble of foggy matter soon became a shape, which soon became a form, which soon became a body. Kagome gulped and stifled the urge to run when she looked up and she realised that she was staring into the eyes of a very pale, very see-through image of a man.

"Hello," he nodded cheerfully at her, smiling with super-bright demonic teeth. "I'm Youko's old friend, Yomi."

And he was a ghost.

--

**A/N: Btw for anyone wondering, this is **_**my**_** use of Yomi. It's not actually the character from YYH that we all know. I'm just using the name and the idea that they knew each other to help out my fic. :)**

**Also, I hope I'm not rushing into things too quickly. I want to go gradually with their relationship – seeing as though the circumstances aren't exactly likely for any romance to happen; we need outside forces to come into play! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Inuyasha or YuYuHakusho. **

**

* * *

**

Cavern IV

_And he was a ghost._

Okay, Kagome thought to herself. This is getting a bit much.

Yomi floated harmlessly in front of her, the soles of his feet a good few inches above the ground. "So tell me," he asked cheerfully, "What exactly are you supposed to be doing here anyway? I can't imagine what would have brought the infamous Youko Kurama so far away from his lair with such-" his eyes swung down to Kagome's tiny uniform skirt, his grin widening, "-_interesting_ company."

She grimaced, her nose wrinkling in annoyance. What was _up_ with all of these people thinking she was some kind of slut or something? The stupid skirt wasn't _that_ short – was it? Kagome's gaze turned towards the demon spirit once more, only to find that he was checking her out again, and this time with a great deal more interest. _Oh great_. She groaned internally. The damn ghost was a creep too. Slightly disturbed, she took a step back, just as Youko moved forward, his eyes flashing red.

"I would better know how to answer your question, Yomi, if I knew exactly where 'here' was."

Yomi shrugged carelessly, unconcerned with his former comrade's barely concealed anger. "Well to be honest, I can't really help you much there," he frowned, looking thoughtful. "'Here' isn't anywhere in particular, really. At least, nowhere that you could successfully pin down onto a map. It's more like a realm of some sort. Similar to Reikai, but nowhere near as large."

_The Spirit World?_ Kagome felt confused. She'd heard the term used before but only in passing. Never with such conviction, like it was an actual place._ Maybe it is_. Her eyebrows lowered as she considered the thought. No way. It couldn't be. The existence of something like that seemed impossible – too farfetched for even her to believe. Kagome shook her head. It couldn't be true. Could it?

Before she could stop herself, a question popped out of her mouth.

She spoke hesitantly, "Reikai…that's where all the spirits go, isn't it?" the words sounded silly when she said it like that, but when he only nodded, she felt a little braver. "So is it just like the stories? With a King who rules over everyone and organises where they go?"

He shrugged again, clearly disinterested with the flow of conversation. "Pretty much. Although it pains me to speak of Enma as ruler over me in any shape or form, that is essentially what he does, yes."

Kagome found her eyes widening. So it _was_ true. Still, she couldn't quite wrap her mind around the thought of an entire world dedicated to the dead. She'd always considered there to be just a heaven and a hell, and the fact that Inuyasha always promised he'd go to hell with Kikyo had only strengthened this belief. _Inuyasha_. Kagome realised with a jolt that she hadn't thought about her other companions in a long while. Long enough that their very existences had been blotted out from her mind, as if they had never been there in the first place. _And they're probably outside right now, looking for me._ Instant remorse filled her system. How could she be so uncaring? Those were her friends, for goodness' sake, and she'd cast them out of her mind without even a second thought. What had gotten into her all of a sudden? Day-dreaming about certain demon-thieves, making conversation with their dead friends... It was like she was a different person! Hating herself, and not quite sure what to do about it, Kagome let her mind wander to other, less taxing things. In front of her, the talk between the two demon males went on.

"So," Yomi said, turning back to Youko. "Explain. How did you get yourself in this mess? That seems rather unlike you to be so careless."

Youko's eyes were cold. "Do you really expect me to tell you anything, Yomi? When was the last time we saw one another – a good fifty years ago, I believe. How should I know if you're even worth trusting after all that time?"

Yomi chuckled. "Always so paranoid. I'd almost forgotten that about you." He leaned back, casual arrogance evident in his laid-back posture. His gaze turned sly, "But then again, you were supposed to be careful too, and look where you ended up – right bang in the middle of a death-trap spirit realm." He laughed, ignoring the heated glare being sent his way. "You know, I was hardly expecting to see any of the old gang here today. You least of all. In fact, I was pretty much prepared to have to deal with some chumped up, C-class youkai looking for an easy fight. Which would have been fun, I suppose, but way too boring. I mean, I've got better things to do than mess around with insignificant weaklings all day." Yomi paused for breath, and then continued with his story, unaware that Youko was gradually losing patience with each delayed second. "Yeah, so there I was, all set to unleash my ghostly deadliness on some weak shit, and then you showed up." He grinned and cocked his head to one side. "Not that I particularly love you or anything, but trust me, in comparison, having you here's like winning the damn lottery."

Youko made an effort to not grit his teeth. His countenance was still unnervingly immaculate and his features were still calm, but the colour of his eyes was now a blazing crimson, revealing the hidden fire that burned beneath the composed exterior.

"Yomi..." he began, voice low and deadly.

Another voice interrupted him. "Hey wait a second! So, if that's where dead people go, what are you doing here?"

Youko spun round on his heel to stare openly at the human girl not three metres away from his side. He realised that before she'd spoken he'd completely forgotten about her presence. She looked noticeably uncomfortable with both of their attention fixed on her, but still remained determined, although he could tell that she was making a considerable effort to avoid his gaze. Strangely enough, that amused him, and he felt his anger fading just as swiftly as it had come. Well, he thought, a tiny curve slanting his pale lips upwards, she's good for one thing, at least.

Yomi at first looked surprised at the random question fired at him, and then he shifted, looking nervous.

"Um – what?"

"Okay, I really, really don't understand." She shook her head, mystified. "You said this place was a _spirit_ realm where only dead things can go. How is it possible that we- I mean, _I_ am here, if I'm not dead? And furthermore," she ploughed on, not giving the demon time to forge a response, "If dead spirits belong in Reikai then what are you," she pointed an accusing finger right in his face, "doing over here, huh?"

_Interesting_. Youko couldn't stop the note of appreciation from leaking into his mind, but in this instance, he didn't much care. Apparently, the human girl-child wasn't as much of a fool as he'd first thought, which was astounding to say the least. He was rarely ever wrong at analysing a person from their first impressions, and since she'd adequately found the reasoning to suspect Yomi as being false, that made her slightly less useless in his eyes. True, it had taken her an embarrassingly long time to come the same conclusion that he had perceived almost immediately upon seeing his former comrade, but then that was to be expected. She was only a lowly ningen, after all.

He allowed his eyebrows to lift in a fairly mocking way. "Well, Yomi," he murmured, his deep voice becoming as sweet as honey once more. "Outsmarted by a human child...tsk, tsk. I'm embarrassed for you. Honestly, I can't imagine how that must feel, but I suppose it must be incredibly infuriating." His fangs glinted as he smiled. "Ah well, embarrassment's a small price to pay for telling lies."

Kagome looked at him, frowning. She was torn between shouting at him for calling her a child – she was a woman, thank you very much! – and shouting at him for implying that humans were stupid. _Well, some are, obviously, but not me!_ She had figured out that Yomi was lying after all, and she'd managed to survive this far without doing anything really dumb, hadn't she? Yes, she decided to herself, she had. So really – she huffed indignantly – he had absolutely no right to say that about her. None at all.

Unconscious to the fact that he was being considered through narrowed blue eyes, the demon in question spoke. "Now, are you finally ready to tell us the truth, Yomi." Kurama continued talking as if to a child. He took a step closer to the dead demon. "Or will I have to force it out of you? Once again, I warn you," he stepped forward, claws outstretched, releasing a guttural hissing noise from his throat that sounded disturbingly like death. "_I have no time for games_."

Yomi was speechless. His deathly pale skin darkened to a faint, near indiscernible rose. He opened his mouth to speak. "B-but…Youko, I-I…" he gulped, and then composed himself. "Okay, you got me," he sighed, visible deflating. "I didn't want to tell you earlier because I knew what would happen if I did. And trust me, I do know. You're not gonna like it, I can promise you that right now." He warned, and then sighed again, shooting Kagome a spiteful look from the corner of his eye. "Women," he muttered under his breath. "And here I was thinking she was some kind of easy wench. Huh. Could have fooled me." Once again, his glance went to her skirt.

"Hey!" Kagome intercepted the look and glared defiantly at him. "Keep your eyes to yourself, you- y-you hentai!" Yomi laughed, and she blushed, pulling the green material down as far as it could go.

Watching these childish antics, Kurama felt his irritation begin to rise again. Was she so immature that she couldn't stay serious for more than one second?

He grabbed her face by the chin, none to gently, and forced her to a halt. "Be still." He ground out harshly, ignoring her whimper of protest, "and _listen_, girl."

Abruptly, Yomi became alert again, obviously unwilling to provoke Kurama any further. "There really is no easy way to say this, Kurama, so...er, basically, I- um..." he rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "I'm actually working on behalf of Spirit World right now."

Kagome blinked. That was it? That was the big secret he'd been hiding? Her eyes grew wide with disbelief. What the hell was so bad about that? Jeez, she'd been expecting some kind of major demon conspiracy going on, the way those two were acting. _I should have known it was nothing to get worked up about_. Eurgh. She groaned out loud. Men.

Meanwhile Youko snorted, looking at Yomi contemptuously. Why was he not surprised? He should have known that the fool was capable of becoming one of Reikai's lapdogs. His lip curled with distaste. How demeaning.

Seeing his look, Yomi hastened to defend himself. "Hey, it's not like I'm working for them permanently or anything! This is just the one time – in exchange for something I wanted. Koenma promised me I'd move up on the reincarnation list if I did him this one little favour, so I agreed. An easy deal as far as I'm concerned." Realising that it would take hours of reassurance to ever wipe that look of unbridled scorn from the fox demon's face, Yomi decided to give up.

"So," Kagome prodded, not liking how tense things had suddenly become. She could practically feel the animosity in the air, clinging to her clothes and seeping into her skin. "What did they ask you to do? Meet us here?" _That seems pretty pointless to me_.

Or maybe, she thought with growing excitement, maybe he was here to help them! She almost squealed with delight. She'd be getting out of this cavern at last!

Unfortunately, Yomi's next words dashed all her hopes to dust. "The Prince of Spirit World, Koenma, didn't tell me much of what this was about. All he said was that I was meant to meet two individuals over here, and that I was supposed to take them to the centre of this place, and make sure that they stayed there for the rest of the night. That's all I was told."

Kagome's heart dropped. "So we can't leave?"

"Not to my knowledge." He frowned, looking surprisingly old. "I don't even think there _is_ a place out of here that you can take. I mean, I'm a ghost, so I can disappear whenever I want, but you guys have physical bodies with limitations. You can't just walk through walls." He shook his head and the edges of his shape became blurry and out of focus. "I figure the only way to get you guys out of here's to do what the little demi-king wants."

"No."

Kagome started, jerking her head immediately out of his grasp. _What?_ She narrowed her eyes into tiny slits. Did he just say-

"_No_."

Youko's face was stony; his eyes were metallic glints in that beautiful, sculpted face. He repeated himself once more. "No."

"'No' _what_?!" Kagome demanded furiously. She was practically screaming at him with her sudden rage and anger. If he was saying what she thought he was saying– No. _Don't even think it_. Her eyes fixed on his tall form, standing indifferently before her. The sight only increased her anger. "Well, speak up. What do you mean by 'no'?" she asked, her eyes blazing.

Youko Kurama, spirit fox, legendary demon thief, and master of so many things, very nearly lost his grip on himself in that single moment. Instinctively he had to clamp his mouth shut to prevent his fangs from lengthening, his body from shifting form. Even in this state of near incompetency, he found that he was actually angry enough to transform, a feat that had proved near impossible only a sparse hour before. In his mind, however, he let his fury build. Who was she, he thought derisively, a single useless child, to demand an answer from _him_? Was the girl out of her mind? Did she have no _sense_? He sneered at her, and just like that, he lost every shred of affection he'd gained for the little mortal.

He looked down his nose at her pale face; blotches of red grew in her cheeks as he spoke, "I refuse to lend my aid to the Prince of Reikai, human, or any emissary of Reikai for that matter. My reasons for doing so are none of your concern however, so don't even begin to ask."

Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But then how will you get out?! They told us when we got here – we can't do it alone!"

His look was scornful. "Perhaps you can't," he said, his voice deceptively soft. "If you truly believe that I need your assistance to survive within a harmless spirit realm then you are indeed as foolish as I first thought. A discredit to your race, even. Most mortals have the basic instinct in them to accept that demons are by far the superior beings in this world and give them the respect they deserve." He enjoyed the way her face filled with shock at his words, and sought to increase the hurt. He smiled chillingly. "I myself have found yours to be a hindering presence on our journey, rather than any actual help. A burden in fact. If you end up dead within minutes of my disappearance it shall come as no shock to me – nor shall I care."

Her eyes filled with tears. "You jerk-"

Tired, and with an overflow of desperate emotions that she couldn't even begin to unravel, Kagome did the only thing she could, and lashed out at the cold demon with her fist. Before her hand had even made contact with his flesh, he had her in his grip, twisting her frail hand round so that her arm was bent awkwardly and her bones were about to snap. She cried out, her shrill scream echoing within the bright cavern like a siren's call, and yet he did not falter.

Youko turned his golden eyes to her, feeling utterly devoid of sympathy. "Touch me again, and the next time we meet, you will die." He promised, expressionless.

He dropped her hand, feeling rather than seeing, the girl drop to the floor, and then walked slowly away from her. Within seconds, he was gone.

--

**A/N: OMG! I'm so sorry for this embarrassingly long update!! I had exams before school finally ended and then I was sick and then my computer wouldn't let me upload any chapters, and through all of that, I was going through some kind of writer's block thing and I couldnt write! So again, I apologise. I really hope it won't happen again. In the future, I plan to leave news of my updates in a section of my profile so you'll always know what's going on. Thanks again for reading, and I hope you like the chapter! Feedback is ALWAYS appreciated. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Inuyasha or YuYuHakusho. **

**

* * *

**

Cavern V

"Shit! Are you okay?" Yomi rushed over to her once the white clad figure had completely disappeared from sight, meshing into the darkness beyond as if he had never been. Exactly where he had gone, Kagome didn't know, and at this point, she didn't particularly care. As far as she was concerned, she was done with Youko Kurama, and she was sure he felt the same way. "Hey, can you hear me?" Yomi called. "Hellooo?" He waved a translucent hand in front of her eyes.

She raised her head, but did not get up off the floor. Her mind was still dazed.

"Jeez, girl, you look – I'm gonna have to be frank with you – you look like hell. Kurama didn't break your arm did he?"

She shook her head to signal a brief 'no', and he sighed in obvious relief. "Phew! That's lucky. I don't think the Prince'd be too pleased if he found out I let you get injured, especially before you even got on the job." His gaze took in the drawn, blank look on her face and he began to backtrack hastily. "Er...not that that's the only reason I care, of course! But you know...there's not much I can do to help, being dead and all."

Kagome nodded. "I understand." Her voice was oddly sombre, lacking its usual warmth.

Slowly, she picked herself up, making sure not to add too much pressure onto her injured wrist. She looked down at it. It wasn't too bad – she'd had worse in her time, and she knew what broken bones felt like – that had been nowhere close. As much as she hated to admit it, Kagome knew that she'd been lucky, that she could have had far worse done to her by the powerful demon thief. But still, in some way this minor, near irrelevant injury seemed to hurt her so much more than any of the others she'd had, and the pain refused to stop, spreading endlessly throughout the rest of her body.

_Why am I reacting this way? It's not as if he was anyone important to me_. It wasn't like he was her friend or anything. So why, she asked herself, did she care? Air gushed from her mouth as she exhaled; exasperation causing her body to leak out the tension clogged up in her pores. Nothing made sense right now. Her muscles were stiff, tensed from all the drama of the day. She felt as if she could have been dreaming for all the crazy things that had happened to her. _And in just one night too_. Unbelievable really. She wondered if the others would believe her story when she eventually got out, before remembering that the chances she'd be leaving this place anytime soon were practically null and void. She felt the beginning of tears pricking at the corner of her eyes and she stubbornly forced them back. If she'd learnt anything in her days time travelling, it was that crying wasn't going to solve any of her problems.

"You really need to stop spacing out like that," Yomi commented, shaking his head. "You know if I wasn't already used to you, I'd be pretty offended by now. It's not normal for a pretty girl to pay such little attention to me. I'm actually quite hurt." He smiled, revealing the lie to his words. Quirking his lips upwards, he allowed the pointy tips of his sharp teeth to peek through. "In case you haven't noticed," he huffed. "I am _seriously_ good-looking. You really should be taking time to appreciate that fact."

Kagome blinked, surprised despite herself. _Is this guy for real?_ She felt amusement burst up within her, eroding the crumbling mass of anger and pain. "Oh really?" She teased back, suddenly grateful for this heaven-sent distraction.

He nodded seriously, grin firmly in place. "Oh yeah. The dead girls – they're all over me. Back in Reikai they have fights just for my attentions. Not the little kiddie ones, but real girl-on-girl cat fights." He laughed abruptly, tossing back his head. "Once, one of the girls got so beat up that she would've died if ... you know, she wasn't dead already."

This time she couldn't resist grinning back. It was hard to stay morose when faced with that kind of crazy attitude.

"Soooo...." he looked at her again. "What's your name, kid? I don't remember you telling me." His face was cheery, eyes filled with an unearthly light that glinted in the harsh surroundings.

She stared at him, startled once more. He was right. There hadn't exactly been any proper introductions between them besides the quick mention of his name and his connection to Youko – and _he_ wasn't likely to have introduced them.

She replied simply, "Kagome," And left it at that. She didn't feel the need to divulge her last name. It was just about useless in this Fuedal land anyway.

"Kagome..." he mused. He tapped a finger on his chin. "Where have I heard that name before? It sounds so familiar..." He was silent for a moment as he considered her, dead eyes seeming to bore into her very soul. She squirmed under this assault, made uncomfortable by his constant scrutiny, and then jumped about a foot in the air when he spoke, exclaiming loudly: "Oh right! I know who you are! You're that Guardian girl, aren't you? Of the, er, Shiky-no-whatsit." He nodded, apparently pleased with this deduction.

Kagome however, was anything but. Her throat clenched painfully as realization finally returned to her. _The jewel_. She shook her head slowly, numb with disbelief. She'd forgotten. She'd actually forgotten about the Shikon shards. _How is that even possible_? She thought wildly, her heart thumping heavily in her chest.

She couldn't believe she'd actually managed to all the other things she'd been concerned with, the Shikon No Tama should have number one on her priority list. _Some_ _guardian I'm turning out to be_. She sighed, feeling her earlier depression return with a sharp vengeance. This night seemed to be getting worse and worse as time went on.

"Hey, don't go all weird on me again!" Yomi peered at her face, scrutinizing her forlorn expression. "Come on, cheer up. What are you so worried about anyway?"

Kagome couldn't keep the irritation out of her voice. "Well gee, I don't know," she spoke sarcastically. "Maybe it's the fact that I'm stuck in this spirit realm with no way to get out, that's got me worried. Or maybe it's because I know I'm unarmed and surrounded by dangerous demons at every corner. Who knows." She was almost shouting now, the volume of her voice loud enough that it carried within the mystically barren cavern. "Well, in case you've forgotten, Yomi," she snapped, "Your so-called friend left me! I don't have a chance of getting out of here without help."

He smiled easily, "_I_ can help you!"

She snorted rudely. "Yes, because ghosts are very useful. I'll be really glad for your help. Thanks."

Instead of looking angry as she'd expected, he wore a casual grin, amusement practically dripping off of him in droves. "Wow, you're really angry aren't you? You must be if you're insulting me like that." He laughed. "I get the impression that you're not usually this kind of girl – you seem sweeter, more innocent." He winked teasingly, a knowing glint in his eyes. "But it's okay. I don't mind if you yell at me. It's kind of hot actually."

He laughed again, and this time he was laughing at her. Kagome felt herself burning up slowly, the pretty milk tone of her skin growing redder and redder. Her anger, which had been piping hot only seconds before, had dwindled into barely a flicker of discontentment. Okay, now I feel like a total idiot, she thought, already regretting her uncharacteristic outburst. _What in kami's name is wrong with me?_ She'd actually yelled at him. The only person she yelled at with proper fury was Inuyasha, and that was only when he did something wrong. She never lashed out at him for no reason – that just wasn't her style. She always felt too guilty afterwards. _Which is how I feel now._ Bashfully, she looked up at the youkai spirit reclining comfortably in mid-air, his hands once again placed behind his head. _I guess I should go __apologise__._

She opened her mouth, "Yomi, I'm-"

"It's fine." He held up a hand to stop her from continuing, his trademark silly smirk plastered across his face. "I already said it doesn't matter so there's no need to feel sorry. Besides," he gave her a quick, assessing glance, "even if I wanted to, I wouldn't hold you responsible. You're not even in control of your actions right now."

"What do you mean?" She felt dread prick at her stomach.

He explained carefully, "It's very simple, Kagome. Right now, this realm is asserting its authority over you. Your mind and body – everything. It's changing you, altering things so that it fits certain requirements for this place."

Her mouth was gaping open. "You're not serious!"

"I wish I could say yes, but I can't. Sorry." He looked at her pityingly, eyes only skirting her legs for a mere second. "If it's any consolation, you're not the only one. That's what happens to all living things that enter here, it bends them to its will so that the longer they stay, the less they appear like themselves. That's one of the reasons why it's off limits to youkai and humans. It's simply too dangerous."

She shuddered, feeling the dancing touch of a cold chill skirting her spine. It was one thing wondering about the weirdness that had suddenly gotten into her, but to find out _this?_ It was almost better thinking that she'd somehow become a different person overnight. This was the far more terrifying option.

"So how does it stop?" That was her main concern.

"When you leave, I suppose. The realm won't have a hold on you once you're free of this domain."

That makes sense, she thought, nodding in agreement. And then abruptly she remembered that her escape plan had already been thwarted. Kagome groaned out loud, exasperation lining her tone. "Why does everything always return to me getting out of this place?" She mumbled lowly, "I bet all my problems would stop if I could just leave."

"Probably," Yomi answered, appearing not in the least bit concerned. His carefree manner was beginning to annoy her. He stretched out, lowering so that the soles of his feet barely glanced off the ground. "Anyway, we've wasted enough time as it is. We need to start moving now if we're going to get there on time."

_Err, did I miss something?_ "Get where on time?" she asked.

Yomi huffed impatiently, "We've already been through this, Kagome. I need to get you to the centre of the realm, remember? As part of my deal with Koenma?"

Realisation dawned upon her pale face. She frowned. "But I thought you were meant to take me and," she nearly stumbled over his name, "Youko Kurama, together?" Would their deal still work if he only brought one of them?

"Well, yeah. I'm _supposed_ to take the both of you. But it was a stupid plan anyways. I mean, seriously, in what universe would Youko Kurama ever help someone for free?" He shook his head. "I already knew he wouldn't go for the plan – not if it meant he'd be aiding Spirit World in the process. He hates the Prince you know," he added randomly.

Well, she'd pretty much figured that all by herself. "So, you knew he would leave?"

"Yeah I'd guessed." He shrugged. "For someone so intelligent, Kurama can be very predictable at times. Although that doesn't make him any less fearful." He took in a small breath. "If I know Youko – which I do – then I know that right now he'll be searching as hard as he can for a way out. In fact I'm sure he's already figured out what the realm is doing to him, and made plans to counter it."

"How would he do that?"

"Well he's a spirit fox, isn't he? All he'd have to do is turn back into his animal form and go around like that. In that body, he becomes more akin to the spirit realm and therefore, less affected by its magic." He continued patiently, "Still, if my estimations are correct, he won't be able to leave just yet. The realm should have enough influence over him that he'll be drawn into its centre whether he likes it or not." He sighed, smiling lightly. "I swear that guy never makes anything easy on himself." Yomi's eyes were misty, as if he was far-away, lost in some unknown memory.

Kagome rubbed at her forehead with her palm. _Eurgh, I feel a headache coming on_. She began to massage the skin there, soothing the restless ache beneath its surface. Asprin, she thought heatedly, that's what I need, asprin.

"So, kid," apparently he'd recovered from his minor-nostalgia rather quickly. He gave her a pointed glance, "Are you ready?"

"Yes, I'm ready." She wasn't, but she felt it was better to say so even if it wasn't true. Besides there's nothing to worry about, she quickly reminded herself. True, Yomi didn't know the way out either, but maybe if she did what the Prince wanted then she'd be allowed to go home.

Which suddenly brought to mind something she should have wondered at a long time ago: _what in the world does the prince of Reikai want with _me_, anyway?_

"Come on, Kagome," Yomi moved away from her, heading farther east. His voice was strained, tight with concern. "We really should get moving. We've been mostly undisturbed up until now but that was only because Youko was in the area. This place isn't safe anymore."

Bristling at the implication that _he_ was the only thing protecting her even when he was so far away, Kagome responded less kindly that she imagined. "But this is a spirit realm, Yomi. You said so yourself! There's nothing out here besides ghosts and creepy voices. Nothing that can harm me."

He frowned and turned to face her, but before he could open his mouth and reply, a painfully high-pitched shriek rose up in the air, followed by a chorus of undeniably female-voiced cackles.

"Ooohh! What have we here – a human?" One eerie soprano gushed. Several other bodiless voices tittered with amusement, the sounds coming nearer and nearer to where Kagome stood. "A ghosty – that's normal, but what in the worlds is a human doing in _our land?_"

_I just had to go and jinx it, didn't I? _Kagome winced as she saw Yomi cursing angrily, and watched him return to a defensive position at her side. _Guess it's time to face the music._

Inwardly cursing her big mouth, Kagome slowly turned around to face the newcomers.

--

In an entirely separate part of the realm, a pure white demon fox leapt up into the air. It lunged, aiming for its opponent's uncovered throat, but just as it neared the kill its opponent's arm rose up to block the strike. Youko growled lowly and rebounded again, moving far too fast for the eye to see. It was only by pure luck that his next swipe missed its target; the demon being warned of his attack by the light brush of his tail against the stony floor. The youkai was fast but not overly strong, and the only reason he wasn't dead right now was because of the thing glowing brightly out of his arm.

A shikon shard.

Kurama wasn't one of those pathetic youkai that coveted the Jewel of the Four Souls. He had his own power, he knew his own strength, and he would have rather died than become a slave to the addiction that was the Shikon. Besides, he wasn't nearly desperate enough to search for borrowed strength.

_A valuable trinket however_…

Without a doubt, the Shikon No Tama would have been a boast worthy addition to his collection. If not for the fact that he'd heard it had been broken and scattered into hundreds of single pieces, he would have gone after it long ago. But now, he was sensing something from this demon that called to him, enticing him into his grasp, and that could truly be only one thing.

He swiped again, this time skirting the edges of the invisible circle they'd made, and jumped straight at the demon's midsection. It let out a strangled cry, which cut off abruptly when he stuck his jaw into its belly and tore out his entrails. Warm blood gushed forth from the wound, and then Youko stepped back from the corpse, his blood-lust satisfied.

Not bothering to revert back to his humanoid body, he bent over the dead demon and poked his nose into the sticky, wet mess. A few moments later, something pink and shiny was revealed, and he picked it out with his mouth, letting the shard rest on the flat surface of his tongue. Strange, he thought. The demon had only been carrying one shard. He could have sworn there'd been two.

A quiet buzzing from above disturbed him. He looked up just in time to see a small insect disappear around the corner of this new cave, vanishing out of sight. His red eyes narrowed. _That was the insect from before_. It bore the same yellow and black markings as the other one and they both had long, lethal looking stings on their ends. Clearly, he thought, someone isn't being very discreet at spying.

The sound of approaching footsteps alerted him to an incoming presence. With his fox eyes he could clearly pick out from a distance the size and strength of his adversary, not to mention being able to smell the creature's confidence. He grinned, the fox mouth widening in a purely predatory way. For the second time his eyes confirmed what his senses had been telling him earlier. _There was more than one shard in the vicinity_.

Crouching low into position, he prepared himself to attack.

--

**A/N: I hope you all got my notice about my work getting deleted. That's why this one took ages to get out. ****Please review and tell me what you think! **


End file.
